


The Icy Web of Desire

by SunnyInOregon



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Consensual Sex, F/M, Love, Love Confessions, Romance, Sex, Snow, trapped in a cabin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:14:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23180761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunnyInOregon/pseuds/SunnyInOregon
Summary: The heat of her tears began to melt his frozen heart.
Relationships: Penelope Garcia/David Rossi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	1. One

Turning his SUV into the driveway he slammed on the brakes and slid to a stop inches from the back of the orange Cadillac that was parked in the way. Dave frowned as he shut off the engine and consoled his upset lab who had slipped off the seat at the abrupt stop. He stared at the back of the car in front of him wondering why its owner would risk her fool neck to drive out to his cabin in this weather. It had been snowing for days and under the snow was a layer of ice. Dave had slid a few times in his SUV on the way to the cabin.

He opened his door and shivered at the blast of cold-air which greeted him. Tromping up to the driver's door of the monstrosity in his driveway he tapped on the window. When the window didn't open he grabbed the handle; the door was locked. He cleared off the window and peered inside the car, it was empty. Frowning deeper he looked around. The ongoing snowfall had obliterated any footsteps that were made recently.

"Come on Mudgie," he said to the dog that was bouncing around trying to catch snowflakes. They trudged through the snow to the front door of the cabin. Dave grabbed the handle and found it still locked. He pulled the keys out of his pocket and opened the door. Mudgie bounded through the open door and ran to his bed in front of the cold, dark fireplace.

"Penelope?" Dave called out. Silence greeted him in return. Apparently, she hadn't broken in, but where was she? He wandered towards the back of the cabin; an unusual object on the back deck caught his attention. He rushed to the back door and flung it open. Penelope sitting on a deck chair, was covered in a layer of snow. Panic filled his heart as his first thought was she had frozen to death. A groan from her unmoving body prodded him into action.

"Are you flipping crazy?" he scolded as he reached her side. Her eyes popped open and he could see her shivering. "What are you doing out here?"

She sat up stiffly and shook the snow off. "I was waiting for you," she stuttered. Dave brushed the pile of flakes from atop her head.

He grabbed her arm and helped her to her feet and inside the building. "Why didn't you wait in the car?" he asked as he closed the back door.

"I locked my keys inside," she muttered as she stared at the floor. She hugged her arms around her waist as she shivered.

"Oh Kitten," he sighed. "You should have broken into the cabin."

She gasped. "I couldn't do that – it's illegal!"

He nearly laughed at the look of indignation on her face. "And hacking computers isn't?"

"It's not the same," she grumbled as she stood shivering in the kitchen.

He rubbed her arms with his gloved hands. "We need to get you warmed up. Did you bring a change of clothes?"

She pouted at him. "Also locked in the car."

He half smiled at her. "I'll get it open. Meanwhile, why don't you take a shower?"

"You're not going to hurt Esther, are you?" she demanded her eyes open wide and a look of terror on her face.

Dave placed his hand over his heart. "I promise that your car shall remain unharmed. I have a slimjim in my SUV."

She frowned at him. "How is a piece of meat going to help you unlock my car?"

Dave laughed. "This slimjim is what tow truck drivers use to open car doors. It's a piece of metal not meat."

"Oh," she said lightly. "I knew that."

He chuckled again as he began unbuttoning her jacket. "The bathroom is over there," he stated, nodding his head to the right. "You go get in the shower. I'll put your bag inside the door and start a fire. You want some coffee?"

"I don't want to trouble you," she said as she slipped the jacket off her shoulders.

Dave took the jacket from her trembling hands. "You will never be trouble to me. Now get yourself in the shower. Help yourself to whatever you need."

He watched her toddle over to the bathroom. He waited until he heard the water turn on before walking to the front room and hanging up her jacket. One look at the dog asleep on his bed and Dave knew he was heading outside alone. Zipping his jacket up to his neck he went outside.

After grabbing the slimjim from the back of his SUV, he quickly unlocked the ancient Cadillac. He retrieved the keys from the ignition then opened the trunk and picked up the large overnight case. A few minutes later he was back in the cabin with her bag as well as his own. Cracking the bathroom door open he was instantly enveloped by the fragrance of a more feminine soap. She must have opened one of the new bottles he kept under the sink because he didn't recognize that fragrance. Fighting the sudden urge to join her under the warm water, he slid her case inside then closed the door again.

He was in the kitchen making soup and sandwiches to go with the coffee when she exited the bathroom. Pen was wrapped in a fluffy pink robe and matching slippers. Dave smiled to himself as he silently wondered what she was wearing or not wearing under the robe. He cursed himself for letting his mind wander.

"Brr, it's still chilly out here," she noted as she joined him in the kitchen.

"That's because I forgot to start the fire," Dave admitted. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the front room then pushed her into an oversized chair. She watched as he opened a wooden trunk and pulled out a thick blanket. Dave spread the blanket over her lap and made certain her feet were covered too. "There, that should keep you warm while I get the fire going."

"How am I going to eat like this?" she asked. "You are feeding me too, right?"

He paused in his fire-making to frown at her. "Of course I am. Let me get this fire started then I will bring you some food and drink."

"I can eat at the table," she protested.

"I insist," he replied. "Let me take care of you. You just sit back and enjoy it."

He lit a match and held it under the paper he had crumpled and piled in the hearth. It burned slowly warming the small pieces of kindling that Dave piled on until they too caught fire. Dave added larger and larger pieces until he was able to get three good sized logs on the fire and they started to crackle and pop with the flames. He stepped back and placed a wire screen across the front to keep embers from jumping out.

"There now that should warm us up," he announced.

"You don't have a furnace in this place?" Pen asked as she snuggled under the blanket.

He chuckled. "Sometimes I don't have electricity in this place. Tonight may be one of those nights if this snow continues."

"No electricity?" she repeated in wonder.

"Yep," he said as he walked towards the kitchen. "You may have had the last of the hot showers."

"I'm sorry," she called out remorsefully.

He returned a few minutes later carrying a tray filled with food and drinks for the both of them. He removed a mug of coffee, a sandwich and soup placing them on the coffee table then settled the tray on Pen's lap.

"You thought of everything," she giggled as she noted the packets of sugar and cream as well as a small pile of crackers.

"I try to please my guests," he replied.

"If this is how you treat your guests, I can't figure out how you are divorced. Surely, you treat your wives even better?"

Dave snorted. "Trust me; I haven't always been like this."

"No?"

"No," he agreed shaking his head. "Eat your soup before it gets cold."

They ate in relative silence except for the crackling of the fire and the snores of the dog.

"More coffee?" Dave asked as he stood to clear their dishes.

"Sure," Pen agreed.

Dave returned after washing the dishes with a fresh cup of coffee for both of them. He handed her a mug which she placed on the table to her left then stirred the fire and added another log. When he finished he sat on the footstool right in front of Penelope and looked at her thoughtfully. Under his watchful gaze Penelope started fidgeting while he continued to stare at her without speaking.

"Stop staring at me!" she wailed.

"I'm waiting," he replied casually.

"Waiting? For what?"

"I'm waiting for you to tell me why you risked your fool neck to drive out to my cabin," he explained allowing a tinge of anger to color his voice.

She shifted uncomfortably. "I'd rather not talk about it," she said softly.

"Wrong answer," he stated allowing his anger to come through. "You are going to talk about it and you're going to talk about it right now."

She sank back in the chair pulling the blanket up to her chin. She peered at him for several seconds then sighed loudly. "You're not going to let it go, are you? Of course, you're not. What was I thinking?"

Dave took a sip from his mug and continued to watch her in silence.

"Fine," she huffed. She tossed the blanket onto her lap and reached for her own mug of coffee. She took a tentative sip then looked at him in awe. "You added cream and sugar for me? It's perfect."

"I pay attention to details and you're stalling."

"I am," she agreed with a nod of her head. "It seems a little silly now."

Dave laid a hand on her knee. "It's not silly. Nothing is silly if it propels you to do something drastic."

Penelope sucked in a deep breath and Dave could see the tears that started forming in her eyes. "I'm just tired; so tired of everything. I'm tired of Kevin trying to convince me to leave the FBI and buy a farm. I'm tired of Derek saying he loves me and yet never acting on it. I'm tired of being overlooked and underappreciated."

Dave watched the tears stream down her flushed round cheeks while she hugged her mug to her chest and sucked in one wobbly breath after another. She appeared to be on the brink of completely breaking down. With a sigh, he placed his mug on the table and gently pried the one out of Penelope's hands placing it next to his own. He stood up and lifted the blanket that covered her.

"Scoot over," he ordered.

She blinked at him then slid to the left. Dave slipped into the space next to her and covered them both with the blanket before pulling her into his arms. Penelope sat there stiffly for several seconds before allowing her body to relax in his embrace. Her arms slid around his waist as she cuddled against his chest.

"You deserve better, Penelope," he whispered into her freshly washed hair. He felt his body tighten in response to the way she smelled and the way she felt in his arms. He had tried to deny it for so long. He had wrapped an icy web around his heart in an attempt to shield himself from the inevitable feelings he had for her. Unknowingly she seemed bent on breaking through that icy web. She deserved better than Kevin that was for sure. Morgan had no idea what he was losing and Dave sure as hell was going to enlighten him.

There were so many reasons that he himself should turn tail and run. She was young and beautiful where as he was past his prime and tired. He had made the mistake twice of pursuing the wrong woman but something deep in his soul told him this one was worth pursuing. She shivered in his arms and he pulled her a little closer. Now all he had to do was show her how much he already cared.


	2. Chapter 2

It was the first time in years that Dave could remember sleeping platonically with a woman. After an hour in the oversized chair Dave had convinced Penelope to spend the rest of the night in his comfortable king-sized bed. She agreed and followed him without protest. As she removed the robe and climbed into his bed, he realized he was going to have one hell of a fight with his inner demons. Penelope was wearing a silky thigh length nightgown that left just enough to the imagination to keep him awake half the night.

He grabbed his pajamas and locked himself in the bathroom to change clothes and attend to his other nightly routines all the while reminding himself that she was off limits and not interested in him that way. After fifteen minutes he returned to the bedroom to find her already in the land of nod. He put his day clothes away and slipped into the bed as well. Lying on his side facing her, he watched her sleep long into the night.

When Dave awoke, he was flat on his back. Pen had thrown a leg over his thigh and her hand was resting on his belly underneath the waistband of his pajama bottoms. Dave had one hand around her waist, his face buried in her hair and his other hand resting on her ample bosom. He took a moment to savor the feel of her breast in his hand before gently pulling away. Carefully, he slipped out of the bed and made his way quietly to the bathroom. He took a lukewarm shower to calm his raging libido.

Climbing out of the shower he could hear Mudgie sniffing at the door connected to the kitchen area. Mudgie knew that Dave was awake and would be waiting for his morning walk and some breakfast. Dave towel dried his hair and body before shaving, brushing his teeth and combing his hair. It was then that he realized he had left his clothes in the other room. Wrapping a towel around his waist he walked back into the bedroom. Penelope snuggled under the blankets as she lay in the middle of the bed. She turned to look at him. He could feel himself harden again under the thin towel as she gazed at his naked torso. Then her eyes slowly dropped to his waist.

"Aren't you cold?" she asked.

"Not really," he replied blandly.

She made an exaggerated shiver and tucked the blankets tighter to her shoulders. "Brr, it's too cold for me."

"I'm a hot-blooded Italian. It takes longer for me to cool down," he informed her.

"Well I'm not," she grumbled. "I'm staying under the nice warm covers until there is a little more heat in this place."

Dave half-smiled at her. "Unfortunately for me, Mudgie knows I am up and will be expecting his morning walk and breakfast. I'll stoke up the fire and try to warm the house up for you."

"Wait," she cried as he turned away from her.

"What?" He opened a dresser drawer and began sifting through his clothes.

"You're going to leave me here all by myself?" she asked tremulously.

He glanced at her. "Unless you want to come along…"

She sighed and threw the covers back. "I'm going to need to use the bathroom and get dressed," she grumbled. "I might need some coffee as well."

He watched as she climbed out of the bed the edge of her nightgown bunched around the top of her thighs displaying her creamy skin. Dave groaned inwardly and closed his eyes willing the image to leave.

"Can I have ten minutes?" Penelope asked.

Dave re-opened his eyes and looked at her. She had her robe wrapped on and her suitcase in one hand as she stood at the bathroom door.

"Take your time," Dave said softly. "I'll let Mudgie out back for a few minutes. Then we can all have breakfast before our walk."

"Sounds good," she smiled at him before entering the bathroom.

Dave dressed quickly as the cool air was beginning to seep into his skin. In the kitchen he started the coffee while Mudgie took care of his business in the backyard, and then he coaxed the embers in the fireplace back to life as he added some kindling and a few larger pieces of wood. By the time Penelope came out, Mudgie was eating breakfast and Dave had started preparing theirs. A steaming cup of coffee was sitting on the counter waiting for her.

"So, I noticed that there was no television in the front room," Pen said as they washed the dishes together after they had finished eating.

"That's right," Dave agreed airily. "No television, no radio – sometimes I bring my laptop. However, there is no internet out here."

She stared at him with her mouth open.

"What do you do out here?" she asked in horrified fascination.

"Well… fishing, hunting, sometimes the pup and I just go for a walk," he smiled.

She continued to stare in horror. "What if the weather is really bad or you're just too tired for all that outdoorsy stuff?"

He shrugged. "Have a drink and watch the fire or just stare out the window and take in the wonder of nature at its finest."

She snapped her jaw shut and pouted at him. "Now you're making fun of me."

"A little," he admitted with a chuckle. "If I'm in a really crazy mood – I write."

" **I'm** going to go crazy," she whispered as she slowly turned around and really looked at the small cabin she had sequestered herself in.

Dave chuckled again as he poured them both a fresh cup of coffee. "Relax," he soothed as he handed her the cup. "Take a deep breath. I'm here with you. That's not so bad, right?"

She looked at the cup for a minute before meeting his eyes. "I can't think of anywhere else I would rather be," she admitted.

The edge of his mouth curled up. "Did you bring some boots?" he asked changing the subject.

"Boots?" she repeated.

"For walking in the snow," he reminded her.

"It hasn't melted?" she half asked, half prayed.

Dave laughed. "Sorry sweetheart, it has not. In fact, we got about six inches overnight and we'll probably get more this afternoon."

"How long do you think it will continue?" she asked with a tremor in her voice.

"We may have to leave your car here for a while," he answered carefully.

"I can't leave Esther here," she cried as she started to panic. Dave reached over and stroked her arm soothingly.

"We'll put Esther in the garage," he assured her. "She'll be fine there. But we don't have to worry about it right now. The weather could change tomorrow."

"We could have a freaking blizzard, you mean," she said hotly.

"Penelope," Dave said calmly. "You didn't think about that before you came up here?"

She stared at him with a stricken look on her face. Slowly she shook her head. "I guess I wasn't really thinking except that I wanted to get out of town, and I knew you said you were coming out here no matter what the weather was like. I guess I should have thought things through better. I know it's late to say, but I am sorry for intruding."

He sipped at his coffee and stared at her thoughtfully. "You're always welcome here," he said at last.

"Thanks," she whispered. "I guess I should have stayed in bed since I can't go with you."

"You can still go; I have some boots that will probably fit you."

She raised a delicate eyebrow at him. "If you haven't noticed my feet are smaller than yours."

"Oh I noticed," he teased.

"Oh," she gasped then batted her eyelids at him. A flirty smile graced her lips. "Leftovers from an ex-wife or old girlfriend?"

"Actually, I think one of my sisters left them here," he told her.

"You have sisters?" she asked incredulously.

"This surprises you?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I never imagined you having siblings."

"My parents were Italian and Catholic; multiple children were inevitable."

"How many children did they have?" she asked as he walked out of the room towards the front door.

"All of them," he laughed.

"Oh yeah, you're a funny man," she grumbled.

Dave sorted through a box of shoes near the front door. He found a pair of white and green rubber muck boots and a pair of hiking boots. He pulled out both pairs and carried them to the kitchen. "If neither of these work we could stuff the toes with newspapers and you can wear extra socks to make mine fit."

"I'm going to need to borrow some socks," she said as she looked over both pairs of boots.

"Top drawer of the dresser," he replied. "Help yourself."

Penelope grabbed both sets of boots and carried them into the bedroom. Dave rinsed out their coffee cups and set them on the counter. He checked the fire, placing another log in the hearth before pulling on his own hiking boots. He had just finished tying the laces when Penelope came out of the bedroom wearing the hiking boots.

She waved the muck boots at him. "These didn't fit."

He grabbed the boots and tossed them into the box. "You need a jacket?"

"You have one of those that will fit me too?"

"You wouldn't believe the things I have that would fit you," he murmured. He found a suitable jacket for her and helped her to put it on. As he grabbed his own jacket Mudgie got up from his bed and joined them at the door. Dave opened the door and let him bound out into the snow.

"Ooh its cold out here," Penelope observed. It had stopped snowing. The air was so cold it crystallized with each puff of their breath.

"Wait for me," Dave warned as she neared the steps.

"Afraid I will fall down the steps?" she laughed.

"Yes," he replied succinctly as he stepped up next to her and grabbed her hand. He didn't let go when they reached the ground. He led her up the driveway to the road where Mudgie was waiting. "Lead on, Pup!"

His fingers laced with hers as they slowly walked up the snow-covered road. They walked in silence for a few minutes – the only sound was the crunch of snow under their feet. Mudgie led the way bouncing from one snow drift to another until he was completely covered in snow.

"It looks deserted out here," Penelope muttered.

"It usually is this time of the year," Dave told her. "My neighbors are few and far between and they rarely come out in the winter."

"Perfect place for a serial killer," she frowned.

"Luckily for you I can recognize a serial killer from a long ways away."

She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. "I am pretty lucky."

The road narrowed trickling into a trail. They continued holding hands as they walked. Snow covered the trees and nearly obliterated the trail. Several minutes went by as they foraged deeper into the wooded area with Mudgie leading the way.

"I wish I had a camera with me," Penelope said softly. Dave looked at her inquiringly. "It's so beautiful out here."

Dave stopped walking, gasped, and clutched a hand to his chest. "Stop the world! Penelope Garcia is enjoying the great outdoors."

"Very funny," she said as she smiled wryly at him. "I enjoy nature – I just don't enjoy being out in it very much."

"Stick with me kid I'll show you all the good parts," he teased and immediately regretted using the word kid. He hoped that she would ignore it.

They continued their walk pausing every now and then as Dave pointed out birds and small animals in the brush. Suddenly Penelope stopped and stared at a spot through the trees. Dave squinted as he peered through the branches trying to locate whatever had caught her attention.

"What are you looking at?" he asked finally.

She pointed through the trees. "There's a funny looking icicle hanging between those trees over there."

Finally spotting the object of her attention Dave smiled gently. "That's not an icicle sweetheart," he said softly. "It's a spider web covered in snow."

"It's amazing," she said breathlessly.

"Let's get a closer look," Dave suggested as he tugged her to follow him into the brush.

"Don't hurt it," Penelope ordered.

"I said look – not take apart," he reminded her. They stopped a few feet away and stared at the white covered web.

"It's even prettier up close," she whispered.

"Just like you," Dave told her.

She frowned at him. "Did you just compare me to a spider web? Wait! What? You think I'm pretty?"

He squeezed her hand. "Inside and out," he vowed.

"Oh David…" she said tenderly. They stared at one another for several seconds.

Dave slowly moved closer to her. "I'm going to kiss you," he warned her.

"It's about time," she replied just as his mouth covered hers. As they kissed the snow began to fall again.


	3. Chapter 3

Dave pulled back from the kiss and gently brushed the snow out of Penelope’s hair. She watched him with wide eyes and swollen lips.

“You know last night when I said I was tired of waiting for others to get a clue,” Penelope asked softly.

He nodded.

“I’m tired of waiting for myself as well,” she admitted. “I want you, David Rossi.”

She kisses him once again. Pressing herself hard against him.

Dave groaned and pulls away slowly. “You’re making this very difficult, Kitten.”

“It’s not that difficult, David. I’ve been a little in love with you for a while,” she admitted.

He sighed and cupped her face in his hands. “I think I’ve been in love with you for a long time.”

She smiled and leaned towards him. His hands dropped to her shoulders where he stopped her. “You can do so much better than me. What do you want with an old man? I’m pushing sixty.”

“And I’m pushing forty,” she pointed out. She laughed harshly. “How could I ever do better than you? You’re a successful author, founder of the BAU, retired from the freaking Marine Corps, you are caring and trustworthy and did I forget to say handsome?”

He smirked. “I’m also an asshole who works too much and praises too little. I forget important dates like anniversaries and birthdays.”

“Not with me around,” she beamed. “Electronic Goddess, remember? I’ll set up reminders on your phone, your laptop, your freaking microwave if I have to.”

That makes him chuckle. “See? I forgot how wonderful you are.”

She moved his hands off her shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer. Dave slid his arms around her waist and accepted the embrace.

“Will you be my boyfriend David Rossi? Or do you feel a little old to be a boyfriend?”

“A little,” he admitted.

She leaned closer and whispered in his ear. “Well then, will you be my lover?”

He shivered as her warm breath caressed his ear. The thought of holding her like this, only naked, filled his head.

“Yes,” he groaned. He twisted his head and captured her lips again. They kissed deeply for several minutes until Mudgie began barking.

Breaking apart again, they realize the snow is coming down much harder. Their footprints in the snow quickly disappear.

“We should head back to the cabin,” he suggested.

“Oh my gosh! What if we get lost?”

Dave grabbed her hand and lead her back to the trail they had followed earlier. “Luckily, I know this place better than anything else. But, if I get too confused, we have Mudgie.”

As if knowing he needed to lead the way, a snow covered Mudgie raced past them spraying them both with snow.

Laughing and holding hands, they follow the dark lab through the woods and back to the cabin. Dave stole a glance every few minutes just to remind himself that she was there with him.

“See something you like,” Penelope teased as he looked again.

He grinned. “Only the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

“Flatterer,” she giggled. “Keep talking.”


	4. Chapter 4

He kept her laughing the entire journey back to the cabin. He gave her a top ten list of his favorite shoes that she wore, her outfits, jewelry and pen collection.

“Someone has been paying attention,” she said in awe.

“I told you, I’ve been in love with you for a while.”

She stepped closer to him and leaned her head against his shoulder. He slipped his hand from hers and put his arm around her shoulder.

“I’m never letting you go, Penelope,” he promised. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she replied.

Back at the cabin, Dave helped her up the steps and to the back door. “You and Mudgie go inside and get warmed up. Make some more coffee, please.”

“Where are you going,” She asked worriedly.

He smiles and kisses her. “I’m just going to bring in a load of wood.”

“I can help you,” she said.

He sighs. “Will you just go inside.”

She shakes her head. “It’ll be faster if we work together.”

He gives her a glare, then opens the back door. Mudgie rumbles through the doorway.

“Fine,” he huffs. He closes the door and marches off the deck. “Come on, Beautiful. The wood is not going to move itself.”

She grins and follows him. “You’re cute when you don’t get your way.”

After twenty minutes, Penelope is huffing from exertion. They moved a large pile of wood from the shed to the back porch.

“How much more do you think we’re going to need,” she asks.

He pauses mid-stride and looks back at the pile on the deck then up at the sky. “Hopefully, not much more than this. Let’s grab a couple more loads then we can start taking it inside.”

“We’re moving it inside too?!”

Chuckling, he nods. “I’d prefer not to come outside again except to let the pup out.”

She looks at him for a moment. She looks up at the sky as well. The snow hasn’t stopped coming down since it began. “How much deeper is the snow going to get?”

Dave shrugs. “I’ve seen it snow five, six days straight at times. One year, it was so deep I couldn’t see my SUV.”

She gapes at him. “What,” she squeaks.

“We should probably put your car in the garage,” he tells her. “I’m worried that your roof might collapse if the snow piles up high.”

“Well, now I’m worried too.”

“Go grab your car keys,” he orders gently. “I’ll grab a few more loads and open the doors.”

“I’ll grab the keys, but I don’t want to drive it,” she tells him.

He nods and continues his trek to the wood shed. He looks at the piles of wood he has lining the walls and knows that they will be fine for quite away if they get stuck there. Penelope might not like it, but they may have to go home in his SUV and leave her car until the snow stops. He grabs a shovel and heads back outside to clear the space in front of the garage doors, so he can get them open. He’s nearly done when Penelope returns.

“I was starting to think you abandoned me,” he quips.

“Never, mon ami,” she assures him. “I put on a pot of coffee.”

“Good, I’m going to need it.”

He hands her the shovel and pulls the wooden doors open.

“Is there going to be enough room for Esther,” Penelope asks. She frowns as she peers at the interior of the garage.

“It might be a little tight, but she’ll make it.”

She hands him the keys. He sloughs through the snow that is getting deeper by the minute. He unlocks his SUV as he realizes he is going to need to move it before moving her car. Both vehicles are covered with snow and need to cleaned off before he can move them. He retrieves the broom from the front porch and quickly swipes off a large portion of snow from each vehicle, being especially careful with the top of Penelope’s convertible.

That done, he backs up the SUV and parks it partway into the road. He then gets into Penelope’s car. He turns the key in the ignition. The engine slowly turns over, the battery is going dead from the cold.

“Come on, sweetheart,” Dave mutters. “Don’t make me pull out the jumper cables.”

He pumps the gas a couple times, then turns the key again. The engine makes a rotation, hesitates then turns again as she comes to life. He is immediately blasted by cold air coming from the vents. Penelope had left the heater on full blast. He turns down the heater and lets the car warm up for a few minutes before putting her in gear and carefully maneuvering through the snow around the house to the shed.

Carefully, he drove Esther through the doors of the garage staying to the right as much as possible to give himself room to get out. Once parked, he shuts off the engine and opens the door. He has enough space to squeeze himself out of the car.

“What took you so long? I moved the rest of the one wood pile to the deck,” Penelope complained.

“I had to clear the snow off the cars,” he told her. “Then your beastie didn’t want to start at first.”

Penelope gasps. “She is not a beast.”

He just grins. “Yes, dear.”

He closes the garage doors and hands over her keys. “I’m going to move my car up close to the house, then we can take the wood inside.”

“Where do you want it?”

“Just start piling it near the fireplace,” he said as he walked away.

It took them another thirty minutes to move all the wood inside. Penelope hauled in the last armful, dropped it on the pile and collapsed on the couch.

Dave smirked at her. “Tired?”

“Exhausted,” she replied. “And dirty.”

Dave stoked the embers in the fireplace and added a couple of smaller logs. His grin widened. “Go clean up, I’ll take care of this.”

She eyed the stack of wood. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Usually I do all of it by myself.” He removed his jacket and tossed it in the direction of the front door. It landed with a soft thud on the wooden floor.

“Poor baby,” she murmured. She sat and watched him efficiently stack the wood along the wall. His jeans pulled tight on his ass affording her a pleasant view.

“You falling asleep,” he asked quietly without turning around.

“Just admiring the view,” she replied saucily.

He looked over his shoulder and grinned slyly. “If you want to watch, we can take a shower together once I’m done with this wood.”

“That shower isn’t really big enough for two.”

“I don’t need a lot of room; I’ll just hold onto you.”

She giggled and pulled herself to her feet. After removing her jacket, she hung it by the door then picked up Dave’s jacket from the floor and hung it up too.

“Do you want some coffee,” she asked as she leaned over to untie one of the boots.

A loud clunk and a curse word was her answer. She turned around to see him grimace.

“What happened?”

He shook his head.

“David, are you hurt?”

“I’ll be fine,” he stated, his voice filled with pain.

“Honey, what happened?”

“I dropped a log on my foot,” he said sheepishly. “I looked over to answer you and you were… you were… bent over and the log slipped out of my hand and onto my foot.”

She put her hands on her hips and gave him a knowing look. “Were you staring at my ass?”

His sheepish look turned to a grin and a chuckle. “It’s a nice ass.”

She shook her head and turned back to take the boots off. “Stop staring at my ass,” she ordered as she untied the first boot.

“You were staring at mine,” he grumbled.

“Apparently, I am better at staring than you are,” she told him as she pulled the boot off. “At least I don’t get hurt when I stare.”

“You were sitting on the couch drooling,” he teased.

She untied the other boot and started to tug it off her foot. “I was not drooling!” She tugged on the boot, lost her balance, and fell to the floor.

“Son of a gumdrop,” she yelled.

Dave started to laugh. “What,” he wheezed.

She glared at him. “Shut up.”

He hobbled over and reached down to help her up. “Are you okay?”

“I think I bruised my bum,” she said. She winced as she rubbed one cheek.

“Take your pants off, I’ll look.”

She gaped at him. “You just want me naked.”

“I’m not going to deny that,” he laughed. He leaned over and kissed her. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Go take a shower, so I can finish what I’m doing, and we can finally relax.”

“Yes, dear,” she sighed. She reached up and kissed him.

He watched her walk away then returned to stacking the wood. Once he was finished, he sat down and took his own boots off. His foot hurt and a bruise was forming but there was no permanent damage. He leaned back in the chair and enjoyed the heat from the fire that was warming his toes.

His eyes started to droop, he hadn’t slept a lot through the night and all the exercise he had extolled was draining his energy. He could feel sleep coming. Suddenly, a piercing scream rent the air.


	5. Chapter 5

Dave bolted from his seat and ran towards the bathroom. He nearly tripped over Mudgie, whom was growling as he ran.

“Easy, Mudge,” he commanded as he reached the bathroom door. He knocked on the door.

“David!”

He grabbed the doorknob and raced inside, the room was pitch black and the shower was running full steam.

“Penelope?”

“Get me out of here,” she begged.

“Why are you showering in the dark,” he asked. He flipped the light switch, but nothing happened.

“I wasn’t. The lights went off and I got scared,” she cried.

“The power must have gone out,” he told her. “Turn off the shower, I’ll help you out. Or would you rather I got some candles, so you can finish?”

“Out, I want out.”

He could hear the panic in her voice. “It’s okay. Shut off the water, I’ll grab a towel.”

“I can’t,” she replied tearfully.

“I got it,” he told her. He made his way by memory to the head of the tub. There wasn’t a lot of light coming in through the open hallway door and there was no window in the room. He pulled the curtain back and reached in to turn off the water. The spray wet his arm. He turned the water off, his arm soaking wet.

“David?”

“Hold on,” he said quietly. He quickly unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off.

Penelope pulled back the curtain. Dave could just see the outline of her curvaceous body. She started to step out of the tub, Dave jumped forward and grabbed her arm. Once he helped her out of the tub, she wrapped her arms around him and clung to him. Her wet skin felt good next to his bare torso and he responded physically. 

“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” he reassured her. His hands rubbed gently up and down her back as he felt her tremble in his arms.

Her full breasts pressed against his chest; he could feel her nipples harden. He took a deep breath and fought to control his growing libido.

“David,” she said softly.

“Mmm-hmm?”

“Can we make love now?”

“Kitten –“

“We both know it’s going to happen, I don’t want to wait,” she confessed. She rubbed her breasts slowly back and forth as she slid her hands lower to cup his ass.

His erection strained the front of his jeans. She was a temptress. And she was right, they were going to make love. He cupped her ass and pulled her even tighter against him.

He growled in her ear. “I hope you’re sure about this.”

She turned her head and kissed him hard. Her tongue probed his mouth: lips, teeth, tongue – they played together as a promise of what was to come. He moved them blindly from the bathroom to the bedroom, pulling her with him as he backed his way from room to room. He felt the bed at the back of his legs, stopped and broke the kiss.

“Last chance,” he warned.

He could feel her long hair, brush against his skin as she shook her head. “I want you.”

He picked her up, turned and gently tossed her on the bed.

She giggled and wriggled around on the bed.

Dave unzipped his pants then shoved them and his underwear down and off his body. He crawled onto the bed, finding her waiting with open arms. He slid between her open legs, laying his body gently on hers. His skin crawled with electricity from every connection with hers.

She reached up and ran her fingers over his shoulders, tracing the muscles and points of bone.

“Penelope,” he said. “I don’t have any condoms. Are you on the pill or something?”

Her fingers moved down his arms to his elbows and back up to his shoulders. “I’m not. I had to stop taking them because they were making me sick.”

He groaned. “Do you have any condoms with you?”

“Yeah,” she replied. “But are they really necessary?”

He paused and let the question hang in the air for a moment.

She stopped moving, stopped breathing waiting for his reply.

“Are you saying you want to get pregnant,” he asked.

“I’d like to try. With you. I’d love to have a baby with you, David.”

He blinked as his mind raced. He thought of James and of Carolyn and the future he thought he would have had with them. But that was gone. He closed his eyes and a picture of Penelope swollen with his child sprang into his mind. She looked beautiful.

“Yes,” he choked out. “Marry me. You have to marry me as soon as possible. I don’t want our children to have any doubts as to whom their parents are.”

“Children,” she inquired. Her voice was full of hope and happiness.

“Yes,” he hissed. He lowered his head and captured her lips in a quick kiss. “Marriage and multiple children.”

She slipped her hands into his hair. “Okay.”

They kissed again; a promise to each other. He moved, kissing his way down her body worshiping every part of her. His mouth and hands played a symphony on her skin, taking her on an emotional and physical journey until the crescendo. As she caught her breath, he moved over her once again and joined their bodies together.

“I love you, Penelope Garcia.”

“I love you too, David Rossi.”

They made love and fell asleep holding each other close.

Dave awoke first. The chill in the air rousing him from the most pleasant of dreams. He slid off the bed and tugged on his underwear and pants. He covered Penelope with the comforter, wrapping her up like a human burrito before grabbing a shirt and padding out of the bedroom.

The fire was out in the fireplace and the whole cabin was chilly. Mudgie, tucked into a tight ball on his bed, opened an eye and glared at him.

“I’m starting a fire now,” he told the dog.

He got a fire roaring in the fireplace in a matter of minutes. As that was crackling and popping, he checked the snow level. The snowpack was at least three feet deep. It wasn’t currently snowing but looked like it could start again at any minute.

He grabbed his boots and socks, sat on the couch and began to put them on when Penelope appeared wearing the fluffy, pink robe and slippers she had been wearing the day before.

“Where are you going,” she asked sleepily.

“Outside for a minute,” he said vaguely.

“It’s cold out there. It’s cold in here,” she stated. She hugged the robe tighter to her chest.

“The fire went out,” he explained. He finished tying one boot and reached for the other. “I need to turn on the generator.”

“Generator?”

“Yeah, I have one in the garage.”

She frowned at him. “You lied to me?”

“No.”

“You said sometimes you don’t have power here,” she said. Her voice tinged in anger.

“I didn’t lie,’ he sighed. “I omitted part of the truth. Sometimes, I don’t have power as you found out during your shower. But then I turn on the generator and I’m fine. You didn’t really think I would just sit here in the dark.”

She glared at him. “You were making fun of me.”

He finished tying his second boot and stood up. “I was testing you. Trying to gauge how serious you were about being stuck out here with me. You risked your neck to come out to my cabin and sit under a blanket of snow to see me.”

He paused and looked at her for several seconds. “You’re not the only one who has been hurt before, Penelope. You’re not the only one to have your heart broken. You know that I’ve been married three times. Why do think that? It’s because I want to be loved too. I’ve always wanted a wife and children – a family to call my own. I had the chance with Carolyn and I fucked it up. I let my grief become a wedge between her and I. I used my ego and my skills to push people away because I was scared of going through all of that again.”

He moved closer to her. “You’re the first woman to pursue me out here and profess her love for me, but you’re not the first woman to pursue me. When it comes to matters of the heart, I am a very stupid man.”

She watched him closely, not saying a word.

“You would think that because of the job we do and how well we can read people, that I would be better at discerning the truth,” he continues. He walked over to the fireplace and poked at the burning wood. He grabbed another piece and carefully placed it in the fire.

“I’ve had a few women take advantage of my heart,” he sighed again.

“I’m not here to do that,” she said quietly.

He smiles gently. “I know.”

He moved back to her and put his hands on her hips. “When I said I love you it was because I already knew that you loved me too.”

She pursed her lips. “Oh you did?”

He smiled and nodded. “I’ve been watching you for a long time, remember?”

“Yeah.”

He kissed her softly. “I’ll be right back. Are you hungry?”

“Yeah.”

He grabbed his jacket, which alerted Mudgie to get up.

“I’ll start lunch,” Penelope said. “And when you get back, we can talk about baby names.”


	6. Chapter 6

Dave returned to the cabin ten minutes later, the smell of cheese and tomatoes filled the air.

“Something smells good,” he said as he closed the back door. Mudgie ran down the hallway ahead of him.

“Lunch is ready,” Penelope replied. He walked past her to hang up his coat. She was setting the table with bowls of steaming hot tomato soup and a pile of grilled cheese sandwiches.

“I’ll be right there.”

He hung up his jacket, then went to the kitchen and washed his hands before joining her at the table.

“We’re going to have to leave after lunch,” he announced.

“Why?”

“It’s supposed to start snowing again in a few hours and not stop for several days.”

“That’s not good,” she frowned.

He shook his head as he took a bite of his sandwich. “If we don’t get out before it starts, we may not be able to leave for a week or more.”

She starts to fret. “But the snow is already deep on the road, how are we going to get out?”

“I already called Tom, he owns the gas station and tow company in the town about three miles from here. He’s coming out to plow the road,” he explained. “The main road has been plowed and salted by the county, so it’s drivable.”

“Do I have to leave Esther here,” she asked.

Dave looked up at her and took in her wide, tear filled eyes. He reached over and put his hand on hers.

He smiled at her reassuringly. “Once Tom plows the road, it will be safer to drive. You can drive Esther and I will follow you. Okay?”

She looks around the cabin and sniffles. “I was starting to like it here.”

“We’ll be back,” he promised.

“We’re going to need a bigger cabin for all our kids,” she tells him.

He smiles. “We have six acres of land here to build on. It’ll be fun to design something ourselves. When I bought the property, the cabin was already here. I thought about tearing it down and building something else, but this has always suited my needs.”

“Let’s not tear it down,” Penelope requested. “It could be a guest house or something.”

Dave paused. “We’re going to have guests here?”

She beamed at him. “Of course, we are.”

He laughed and nodded. “Of course.”

They finish their meal and clean up the dishes. “Go put your bag together, I’ll pack up the food.”

“Do you want me to pack your bag too?”

He shakes his head. “All my clothes and toiletries stay here. I just need my laptop bag.”

“You don’t take your clothes home to wash?”

“There’s a washing machine in the garage,” he tells her.

“I really should have looked closer at that garage,” she muttered.

Thirty minutes later, they were ready to go. Tom had plowed the road, he and Dave exchanged pleasantries before the man had to go. Dave shut off the generator and pulled Esther out of the garage and to the front. He left her running as he loaded Penelope’s bag in the trunk. He started his SUV as well and loaded all the food boxes in the back.

Mudgie ran around in the snow, sniffing and peeing on things. Dave snuffed out the fire in the fireplace, removing the ashes and coals he took them out back and dumped them in the firepit, covered in snow. The coals hissed as they landed. Steam rose from the interaction.

He headed back inside, locking the backdoor as he went.

“I hung your wet shirt in the bathtub,” Penelope stated. “Or do you want to take it with us?”

“It’ll be fine,” he said with a shake of his head. He noted the boots on her feet. “Stealing my boots?”

She grinned. “It was this or heels. I have a pair of your socks too.”

He grinned back. “Okay. We’re going shoe shopping when we get home.”

She bounced excitedly. “You are the Prince of my dreams. What woman doesn’t want her man to take her shoe shopping?”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “You do know I meant we were shopping for boots, right?”

“Of course.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter what type of foot apparel.”

He snorted. “We’re going to get you some winter wear as well. Outdoor clothes.”

“Ooh, can I have my own flannel?”

“One in every color,” he smiled. He kissed her quickly. “Are you ready?”

She nodded. “I think so.”

“We’ll be fine. Just drive slowly up the road,” he said.

They exited the cabin, Dave making certain it was locked up tight, and trudged to their cars. He whistled for Mudgie, whom came running out of the woods to jump into the SUV. Penelope climbed behind the wheel of Esther, put on her seatbelt, took a deep breath, and put the car into drive. She slowly eased onto the road and headed for the main road. A glance in the mirror assured her that Dave was right behind her.

Three hours later, they parked in front of Penelope’s apartment building. The snow was falling lightly in the area, about four inches had accumulated. Dave grabbed Penelope’s bag from the trunk and carried it up to her apartment. Mudgie followed along behind them.

They entered her apartment. Penelope flipped on the lights and stopped in the middle of the room. Dave put her bag down by the door as Mudgie sniffed around.

“You okay,” Dave asked softly. He walked up behind her and slid his arms around her waist.

She leaned back into his embrace. “I’m fine. I just… I don’t really want to be here.”

“No?”

She shook her head and turned around to face him. “I feel kind of like I don’t belong here anymore. Like this is my past and it’s not where I should be.”

“Where should you be, Kitten?”

“With you.”

He held her gaze. “Are you saying you want to come home with me?”

She grinned wryly. “We are getting married and having kids.”

“True,” he agreed. “We aren’t moving too fast, are we?”

“Are we,” she shot back at him.

“If I could find a justice of the peace, I’d marry you this afternoon,” he told her.

She snorted. She slid her arms around his neck. “It’s Saturday, we might piss him off and he’d throw us in jail. Besides, we need a ring and a marriage certificate.”

“I suppose we could go ring shopping,” he mused.

“And I need new shoes,” she reminded him.

He nodded. “You know, at some point, we’re going to have to tell our friends.”

“Yeah, I was thinking about that,” she replied.

“And? You have a plan?”

“I say we do the band-aid method.”

He frowned. “I’m listening.”

“We have them all over for dinner and while they are drinking your expensive wine, we tell them.”

“Just like that?”

She nods.

“Somehow, I have a feeling that it won’t be a surprise,” Dave said.

“Only one way to find out,” she replied.

He nods. “Okay, let’s go to my place and figure out what we’re making for dinner. You can text the team on the drive over.”

He kisses her. She moans and pulls him closer.

“We don’t have to leave immediately, do we,” she asked as she begins to unbutton his shirt.

“I think we can spare a few minutes,” he murmurs. He leans over and sucks on her neck as her hands pull his shirt out of his pants.

Her hands slide under his shirt and caress his lower back. He moans and begins to pull her towards the bedroom.

“Penelope?” A voice calls through the door to the hallway. The rap of knuckles sound on the thick hardwood.

Mudgie leaps to the door and starts barking. There a pause in the knocking before it begins again.

“Mudgie! Here,” Dave orders. The obedient dog stops barking and runs to his master’s side as Penelope moves to the door.

She puts her hand on the doorknob and glances back at Dave. A smirk forms on her face. “You might want to tuck your shirt in,” she says lowly.

He quickly tucks his shirt in and sits on the couch. Mudgie leans against his leg.


End file.
